February 28, 2024
By: Bill Conger
The DeKalb County High School Winter Guard has “A Killer Show” this season featuring some of the horror movie’s greatest villains. The guard has already competed at Green Hills High School and Wilson Central earlier this month. At the Wilson Central contest, the Winter Guard placed 4th out of 10th in their class, and they improved their score 3 points from the previous competition.
Students in the Winter Guard are Ashton McClain – Captain (sabre, rifle, flag), Crissy White (sabre, rifle, flag), Elizabeth Cardin (sabre, rifle, flag), Bairon Hernandez-Avalos (sabre, rifle, flag), Jamey Bradshaw (sabre and flag), Kara Inglis (rifle and flag), Jay Bare (rifle and flag), Hadley Vergeson (flag) take on the villainous roles of Jason Vorhees, Chucky, the girl from The Ring, a person from the Purge movies, Billy the puppet from Saw, Pennywise from It, Stephen King’s Carrie as well as a “little girl” that is not from a movie but turns out to be a killer in the end.
“The song is titled “Playground”, and the soundtrack starts with a creepy, little, lonely girl looking for playmates,” explains Guard Director Shannon Johns. “We open with Ashton in the center of the floor while the villains peep out at different times from behind large props which are black and white pictures of old playground equipment. Then, away we go with the creeps intermingling with the little girl throughout the show until *gasp* she takes them out one by one at the end of the show.”
“Select students from this group volunteered to help write portions of the show with equipment they are most comfortable with or in one case the dance portions that are their expertise,” Johns says. “I have found when they help with the creative process they are more invested in the show’s success.”
“We have mostly seasoned vets, but a couple of new faces as well. The experienced students do such a great job embracing the new ones and helping them get up to speed. Practicing only on Saturdays is quite a challenge for any group, but these kids handle it with ease and I am very proud of them. They represent DeKalb well at the contests and are having a great time showing off their skills with this fun, spooky theme.”
The Guard will compete three more times this season — Columbia Central High School on March 9, Siegel High School on March 16 and then the championships on April 5 at Western Kentucky University’s Diddle Arena in Bowling Green KY.